As we get closer to some pretty major Windows Phone 8 device announcements, a number of rumors are popping up relating to the operating system. Sources close to The Verge have revealed that a "Rooms" feature will be included in Windows Phone 8 that is similar to the Groups feature already present, although it will add more functionality.

The Rooms feature allows friends and family members to chat in a "virtual room" with the ability to share data such as calendar items, notes and photos privately. Apparently a text message will invite people to join a room, after which they will be able to not only chat with each other but also use the aforementioned sharing functions. Rooms will be created in a similar way to Groups, and there will be a "Best Friends" and "Family Room" included by default in WP8.

As WMPowerUser mentions, this feature was already discovered within a Windows Phone 8 emulator back in July, with Microsoft's very own description having been ripped from within.

Gather your friends and family together. Invite them to a private Room where you can share a calendar, photos, group chat and notes. Or add them to a Group to see social updates from just those folks and text them all at once. Tap the plus sign to get started.

Alongside the Nokia Lumia 820 and 920 that will be shown at Nokia's event tomorrow, the Rooms feature will also supposedly be detailed.